A body-acoustic device converts electric sound signals, which are transmitted from a business-use game machine, a home-use game machine or any other acoustic unit, into mechanical vibrations for transmission to the body of a user. The body-acoustic device has a structure such that a speaker for emitting sound as a vibration source is elastically supported in an internal space of a container body by means of a partitioning plate. The partitioning plate divides the internal space of the container body into two airtight chambers, and the speaker is received in an opening formed in the partitioning plate. Due to the emission of sound from the speaker, air vibrations attributable to the sound pressure are generated in the internal space of the container body and transmitted to the user's body through an outer wall of the container body.
As a specific example of such body-acoustic device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-316582 discloses a basic structure wherein the interior of a closed container is divided into two airtight chambers by a partition wall fitted with a speaker. The outer periphery of the partition wall is attached to the closed container by means of a buffer made of rubber or polyurethane for absorbing vibrations. Such a structure enables the partition wall to serve as a vibrating plate which is integrally vibrated with the cone paper of the speaker. Moreover, the appropriate vibration absorbing effect of the buffer prevents generation of uncomfortable echo noises.
If the partition wall is directly secured to the closed container without the buffer, distortion and split of the speaker sound cause uncomfortable echo noises and deteriorate the clearness of sound. Due to the preserve of the foregoing buffer, the uncomfortable noises can be appropriately absorbed so that the clearness of sound improves.
In the above-mentioned body-acoustic device, a through-hole is formed in the partition wall which permits the air vibrations generated in one of the airtight chambers due to the speaker sound pressure to be propagated to the other airtight chamber. Therefore, generated air vibrations are not immediately attenuated, and satisfactory air vibrations are generated in the overall internal space of the container. Moreover, the sound throttling effect attained when the air vibrations are allowed to pass through the through-hole further raises the sound pressure. Thus, the vibrations generated in the entire outer wall of the closed container are intensified.
In practical use of the body-acoustic device of the foregoing type, some means is employed to hold an outer wall portion of the body-acoustic device into contact with an appropriate portion of the user's body, and the vibrations generated due to the sound of the speaker are transmitted to the appropriate portion of the body. In a known example, the body-acoustic device is attached to a seat back so that the user's back is brought into contact with the seat back, that is, the body-acoustic device when the user is seated.
In recent years, a rucksack type body-acoustic device has been put into trial use or practical use, the body-acoustic device is fitted in the vicinity of the user's back for carrying on the back.
The closed container of the body-acoustic device disclosed in the above-described publication is cylindrical and has a flat bottom wall for contact with the human body. Therefore, if the body-acoustic device is fitted to the human body, only a portion of the bottom wall is brought into contact with the body.
Specifically, a contact portion such as the back or waist of the human body, with which the body-acoustic device is brought into contact, is undulated; macroscopically viewed, the back and the waist are warped with a certain curvature. If the bottom wall is flat, it cannot be brought into uniform contact with the back or the waist. In this case, there arises a problem that the vibrations generated in the outer wall of the closed container cannot be efficiently transmitted. Particularly, when an attempt is made to transmit viblations over a wide region of the human body, the vibrations are actually transmitted partially even if the area of the flat bottom wall is enlarged. Therefore, the efficiency in transmitting vibrations further deteriorates.
Since the body-acoustic device disclosed in the above publication requires the buffer to absorb uncomfortable noises, the number of elements increases and the assembling operation becomes complicated to result in a decrease of the working efficiency. In particular, the buffer disclosed as described above is an annular member having an annular groove formed in the inner surface thereof and arranged to receive the outer periphery of the foregoing insulating wall; and the outer periphery is secured to the inner surface of the closed contained by adhesive agent or the like. Therefore, an operation for causing the buffer to hold the insulating wall and that for allowing the buffer to adhere to the closed container are required. Each of the operations are excessively complicated operations while taking a long time. Thus, a critical problem arises when mass production is performed.
If the foregoing structure is employed, frequent vibrations of the insulating wall causes the adhesion portions of the buffer to be separated or the insulating wall unintentionally is separated from the annular groove of the buffer. Thus, a problem of the durability arises and use for a long time cannot be realized.
Each of the foregoing body-acoustic device encounters a difficulty in bringing the body-acoustic device into reliably contact with the appropriate portion of the body. What is worse, any positive contrivance is not employed. Therefore, there arises a problem in that if appropriate vibrations are generated in the body-acoustic device, the vibrations cannot efficiently be transmitted to the use.
In particular, since the foregoing rucksack structure usually comprises the fastening belts made of cloth or leather, the body-acoustic device is pushed downwards attributable to the deadweight thereof and thus the vertical pressure does not applied to the back of the user. In this case, the back cannot reliably receive the transmitted vibrations.
Moreover, since the back of the body has concave and convex portions and, in particular, the portion in the vicinity of the shoulder blades considerably project over the other portions, the outer wall of the body-acoustic device is brought into contact with the portions including the shoulder blades when the user has the body-acoustic device on the back, thus causing the outer wall to be slightly separated from the other portions. As a result, the vibrations are concentrically and partially transmitted to the portion including the shoulder blades and therefore uniform and reliable transmission of the vibrations is inhibited.
Since the body-acoustic device disclosed as described above has the structure such that the surface portion of the container body, that is, the surface wall portion opposite to the portion which is brought into contact with the body is formed by a single wall, there arises a problem in that sound emitted from the speaker leaks to the outside through the surface wall portion. This problem causes uncomfortable noise to be generated and the atmosphere condition to deteriorate.
In a case where the foregoing body-acoustic device is connected to a game machine for business use or a game machine for home use, sound obtained in response to a signal supplied from a game progression control means of the body of the game machine is, without any process, transmitted to the speaker in the body-acoustic device as an operation signal. The method of transmitting the signal for operating the speaker involves signals in all frequency regions from low frequencies to high frequencies to be transmitted to the speaker.
As a result, for example, sound in the high frequency region is uncomfortable sound in the body-acoustic device and bodily comfortable vibrations cannot be generated. When unnecessary sounds of the foregoing type are mixed with necessary sounds and they are emitted from the speaker, a user is given an unpleasant feeling. Also this causes noise to be generated and environment to deteriorate.
On the other hand, in recent years, as a game which is played by using a game machine for business use or a game machine for home use, games of a type in which a character or the like which is moved in accordance with the input operation of a player and thus the player joins the progression of the game have been put into practical uses, as well as games, the progression of which is determined or controlled by the player regardless of characters in the game.
The games of the foregoing type permitting the player to join the progression has a structure such that an input means comprising a joy stick lever, depression switches and the like is attached to the game machine and the player operates the input means while looking an image output means, such as CRT or LCD, provided or connected to the game machine to control the behavior of an image of a virtual human being corresponding to the player during the progression of the game.
The specific contents of games of the foregoing type include a variety of fields, such as games relating to sports, such as a combative sport, adventures, races and treasure hunting which have been suggested and put into practical use. During a process of the foregoing game, various sounds are emitted from a sound output means, such as a speaker, provided or connected to the game machine.
The game of the type permitting a player to join the game and each of the foregoing game machine to be used is mainly structured such that sound is emitted from the speaker provided exclusively for the game machine in a case where, for example, the situation of the image of the virtual human being corresponding to the player has been changed during the play of the game. Therefore, the sound emitted from the speaker can be heard by another person as well as the payer in a game of a type in which the victory or defeat is decided. If a state intended to be kept secret from another player exists, the secret state cannot be maintained.
As a result, the contents of the game is fully disclosed and therefore satisfactory thrill cannot be provided. Moreover, a process in which a player plays the game while making the situation secret in accordance with information which is recognized by only the player cannot be employed because of the sound emission. Thus, there arises a problem in that the game cannot be manufactured freely and the contents are limited.
Although the game of the foregoing type is structured to use only voice and effect sound to provide reality and power for the player, the foregoing contrivance poorly provides the atmosphere by only the auditory sense and the visual sense for the player. Further improved reality and satisfactory power cannot be obtained and there arises a problem in that provided entertainment and pleasure are unsatisfactory.
On the other hand, as type of a play put into practical use in recent years, a shooting game is known in which a plurality of players each having a light beam gun simulate shooting outdoor to decide victory or defeat in accordance with a decided rule such that, for example, the player exhibiting a larger number of hits is made to be a victor.
A playing apparatus or a playing device for use in a game of the foregoing usually comprises a light beam gun including a light emission portion and a target device to which a light receiving portion is attached. The target device is attached to, for example, the breast of each player. Other players each having the light beam gun by the hand aim and emit light to the target device. In accordance with whether the light beam is received by the light receiving portion of the target device, whether the player is hit is determined.
Hitherto, a structure has been arranged such that electronic sound is produced when the light beam emitted from the light beam gun hits the target of the enemy. Moreover, when the number of hits of the light beams for one player reaches a predetermined time, louder electronic sound or different type electronic sound is produced to inform the player to be the defeated.
Another structure is adapted to the foregoing playing apparatus in which the player has spectacles having a display portion to display the number of hits in the spectacles or the like to enable each player to recognize the hit. Another method is employed in which the display portion of the spectacles is used to display a fact that the muzzle of the light beam gun aims the light receiving portion of the target device, that is, one player is aimed by another player.
The playing apparatus for use in the conventional simulative shooting game is simply structured such that sound is emitted when a light beam hits the target device. Thus, a problem arises in that the power for the player is unsatisfactory. Moreover, there arises a problem in that the requirement for providing improved reality cannot be satisfied.
If the structure in which the number of hits of the target device or the state where the player is aimed by another player is displayed on the spectacles is employed, a complicated and time taking operation for fitting the spectacles is required. Moreover, the spectacles are obstructive for the player who acts during the game.
A body-acoustic device has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-266797 in order to cause voice in a very low-pitched sound region, which has been considered difficult to be reproduced by a usual speaker, to be directly sensed by the body of the player. In the disclosure above, an electric acoustic signal is converted into mechanical vibrations so as to be transmitted to the sense of a human being.
A body-acoustic device of the foregoing type is arranged to be included in a chair or fitted to the body. In, for example, a video game apparatus, an effect of empathy for providing a feeling of identification with the hero of the game for the player is expected.
In a case where the conventional body-acoustic device is employed in, for example, a game apparatus, a confused feeling is given to the player attributable to the bipolar separation of the sound and acoustic sound. Thus, the effect of empathy becomes unsatisfactory, and in an extreme case, uncomfortable feeling is provided. That is, the essential portion of the game is performed on the display screen of a display apparatus disposed in front of the player. In many cases, a speaker is integrally provided for the display apparatus or a speaker is disposed adjacent to the display apparatus. Therefore, also an acoustic image produced by the speaker is located on a plane. On the other hand, since the body-acoustic device directly transmit vibrations to the body of a human being, a sound generating point exists adjacent to the player. Therefore, the position of the acoustic image of the speaker and the acoustic image of the body-acoustic device are deviated from each other, the sound which is vibrations of air generated by the speaker and the acoustic sound, which is mechanical vibrations generated by the body-acoustic device are separated from each other.
If the player has a headphone, the acoustic image emitted by the speaker can be located near the body-acoustic device. However, the foregoing method causes all of acoustic images to be located near the body-acoustic device. Therefore, an arbitrary portion of the acoustic images cannot freely be controlled so as to be located near the body-acoustic device.